The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-07-14
4 "REMINISCENCES OF WAR.
A Graphic Portrayal Of the Terrible Suf-
ferings that Followed a Day Of Unavail-
Haroicu,

1efingS that EolloWed Day OF Uu2va1l.
ing Heroism.
From the Boston Congregatonaist
These are anniversary days. Twenty
two years have passed since Erred
ericksburg." OF what then was moi
much is left but memory. Faces and
forms of men and things that then were
have changed-perchance to dust. New
life has covered some; the rest look but
lingering farewells.
But, whatever changes may beautify
those storm-swept and barren slopes,
there is one character from which they
can never pass. Death gardens. haunted
by glorious ghosts, they must abide.
No bloom can there unfold which does
not wear the rich token of the inherit
ance of heroic blood no breeze be waited
that does not bear the breath of the i'm.
mortal life there breathed away.
Ofall that splendid but unavaifing va
lor no one has told the story; nor can 1.
The pen has no wing to follow where
that sacrifice and devotion sped their
flight. But memory may rest down on
some night scenes too quiet and sombre
with shadow to be wildly depicted,
and yet which have their interest from
very contrast with the tangled and lurid
lights of battle.
The desperate charge was over. We
had not reached the enemy's fortifca-
tions, but only that fatal crest where
we had seen the line of battle mount
but to be cut to earth as by a sword
swoop of fire. We had that costly hon
or which sometimes falls to the ere
serve"-to go in when all is havoc and
confusion, through storm and slaught-
er, to cover the broken and depleted
ranks of comrades and take the battle
from their hands. Thus we had re-
placed the gallant few still struggling
on the crest, and received that wither-
ing fire, which nothing could withstand
by throwing ourselves fiat in slight
hollow of the ground, within pistol
shot of the enemy's works, and mingled
with the dead and dying that strewed
the field, we returned the fire till it
reddened into night, and at last fell
away through darkness and silence
But out of that silence from the bat
ties crash and roar rose new sounds
more appalling still; rose or fell, you
knew not which, or whether from the
earth or air; strange ventriloquism
of which you could not locate the source,
smothered moan that seemed to come
from distances beyond reach of the
natural sense, wall so far and deep
and wide, as if thousand discords
were flowing together into a keynote
weird, unearthly, terrible to hear and
bear, yet startling with its nearness
the writhing concord broken by cries
for help, pierced by shrleks of fparoxysm
some begging for drop of water; some
calling on God for pity; and some on
friendly hands to finish what the enemy
had so horribly begun; some with de-
irious, dreamy voices murmuring loved
names, as If the dearest were bending
over them; some gathering their last
strength to fire musket to call atten-
tion to them where they lay helpless
and deserted; and underneath, all the
time, that deep bass note from closed
lips too hopeless or too heroic to articu-
late their agony.
Who could sleep, or who would? Our
position was isolated and exposed. Of
ficers must be on the alert with their
command. But the human took the
mastery of the official; sympathy of
soldiership. Command could be de-
volved, but pity, not So with o staff
officer I sailed forth to see what we
could do where the helpers seemed so
few. Taking some observations in or
der not to lose the bearing of our own
position, we guided our steps by the
most piteous of the cries. Our part
was but little-to relieve a painful pos
ture, to give cooling draught to fever
ed lips, to compress a severed artery,
as we had learned to do, though in
bungling fashion; and apply o rude
bandage, which yet might prolong the
life to saving; to take token or fare
we'll message for some stricken home !;
it was but little, yet it was an endless
task. Whe had moved toward the
right and rear of our own position-the
part of the field Immediately above the
city. The further we went the more
the need deepened and the calls multi
piled. Numbers, half Weakening from
the lethargy of death or of despair by
sounds of succor, begged us to take
them quickly to surgeon, and
when we could not do that
imploring US to do the next most mer-
ciful service and give them quick dis
patch out of their misery. Right glad
were we when, after midnight, the
shadowy ambulances came gliding along
and the kindly hospital stewards,
with stretchers and soothing appliances,
let us feel that we might return to our
proper duty.
And now we were aware of other fig
ures wandering, ghost like, over the
field. Some ON errands like our own,
drawn by compelling appeals: some
seeking lost comrades with uncertain
steps amid the unknown, and ever and
anon bending down to scan the pale Wis
age closer, or, it may be, by the light
of brief match, whose blue, flickering
fame could scarcely give the features a
more recognizable, or more human look /;
some man, desperately wounded, yet
seeking with faltering step, before his
fast ebbing blood shall have left him too
weak to move, some quiet, or sheltered
spot out of sound of the terrible ap-
peals he could neither answer nor en-
dure, or out of reach of the raging bat
tie coming with the morning; one creep
ing. yet scarcely moving, from one life
| less form 10 another II, perchance,
he might find swallow of water
in the canteen still swung from
the dead soldiers side; or anoth-
Of, as with just returning or just re-
manning consciousness, vainly striving
to rise from a mangled heap that he
may not be buried with them while yet
alive, or some man, yet sound of body,
but pacing feverishly his ground be-
cause in such bivouac his spirit could
not sleep. And so We picked our way
back amid the stark, upturned faces to
our little living line.
The night chill had nov woven a
misty veil over the field. Fortunately
| picket tenoe we had encountered IN
our charge from the town had COM